


Biggest liar of them all

by purplefox



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, M/M, One Shot, Universe Alteration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2018-07-24 09:51:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7503787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplefox/pseuds/purplefox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Orochimaru has a very good reason for going his own way</p>
            </blockquote>





	Biggest liar of them all

“Orochimaru-sama?” Kimimaro’s voice made Orochimaru look behind him curiously to the boy following. “Who was that man?”

 _“Orochimaru! Come back to the village!”_ The memory of Jiraiya’s voice as he stared at him, his face twisted with sadness and grief, his entire body wary but tired.

“No one important.” Orochimaru dismissed, he gently ruffled Kimimaro’s hair as he picked up the pace. “Just a fool.” Jiraiya’s voice had been desperate, pleading but the thing about Jiraiya was that he was unable to commit. Orochimaru had realized that a long time ago.

It was the reason the Third was so lenient, why he had never pushed for Jiraiya being a Hokage, Village, children, lovers, Jiraiya walked away from them all no matter how much they meant to him. That was why Orochimaru had closed his heart to Jiraiya’s words.

They were empty. It was why Tsunade even in her grief never let him in either. The only thing he wondered was if Jiraiya knew about that part of himself, or if he had lied to himself too, about his love.

X

No matter how many times he paid his respects his feelings remained the same, to love was to start a cycle of painful things. Orochimaru lowered his head as he watched the breeze move the flowers he had brought; of all the things he had left behind he still returned on this one day.

A pattern, a weakness but he had never wanted to abandon his emotions, he had just wanted to better understand them so he would better himself and without something to hold onto he would become nothing, he needed motivation, he needed reason or all his power would be lost.

The world was too cruel of a place and the people in it lucky enough to have plenty of people like themselves were too selfish and cruel. He could no longer pity them, no longer bother himself with them. All he wanted was to leave his mark on the world and change it to suit himself.

“Orochimaru.” The voice behind him was soft, gentle, almost coaxing and Orochimaru hated it.

“Is nothing respected?” He asked softly without turning around and he heard Jiraiya shift as he stood behind him.

“I didn’t know if you would still come but it was one place I know you would come back to eventually, even though it is this day.”

“You thought I wouldn’t go to my parent’s graves on the day of their death? When I’ve always done so when it was in my power?” Orochimaru shrugged. “You never did use your head that much Jiraiya, foolish, naïve that was you.”

“I want to take you back to the village, it isn’t too late.” Jiraiya said softly. “Sensei knows most of it, he hasn’t turned his back on you yet Orochimaru. You haven’t lost everything, I’m still here, Sensei is still around and you don’t have to work for the council anymore, if you want to keep traveling we can work something out and I’ll go with you.” His voice trembled and Orochimaru hardened his heart. “Don’t break us apart any more than we already are.”

“Konoha can’t give me what I want.” Orochimaru dismissed. “I want answers, I want progress.” He turned to face Jiraiya and adjusted his cloak, the soft material teased his neck. “Konoha can’t bring back the dead, I can’t get what I lost and they can’t help me achieve my goals and you certainly can’t help me Jiraiya, of all people you’re the last person that can ‘help’ me mostly because you don’t really want to.”

Orochimaru had wondered when he felt Jiraiya approaching him whether the man would have attacked him at the grave site. He had wondered if Jiraiya had it in him to destroy something so important to Orochimaru because others would have. The ANBU units, hunter nins, most people would have done it. Hell they were Sannin, their fights destroyed more than property, Tsunade could level mountains with enough concentration.

But even though Jiraiya spoke of village and loyalty he did not mean it, his words were unable to touch Orochimaru. Simply because they had been a team for too long, they had been around each other for so long that verbal tricks would never work.

Tsunade wandered the lands in his grief, Jiraiya was unable to stay one place for long and used every excuse under the sun as a reason, why should Orochimaru be any different? Why the hell should he listen to Jiraiya? What would listening change? It would take a month or two and then Jiraiya would have left him behind like he did everything and everyone else, he would check back when convenient to him and Orochimaru did not believe in that, he had chosen to go his own way.

“What happened to you.” Jiraiya hissed and Orochimaru paused before he snorted.

“Me? My eyes were open for a long time, it is you too naïve to see the real world and the manipulations Jiraiya. The next time I will fight you.”

X

Jiraiya was with the same old song and dance and Orochimaru could tell that he was barely trying. He got bored and let Orochimaru slip away countless times. His spy network was impressive but Jiraiya did not utilize it the way Orochimaru knew that he could.

He was not serious and so Orochimaru did not listen. Sure one of his past deeds popped up and Jiraiya came after him fuelled by anger but it always faded and Orochimaru was always allowed to get away. Pay for his crimes? Jiraiya was always and would always be a naïve fool. At least Orochimaru was committed to something.

Everything Jiraiya cared about he eventually abandoned but people rarely noticed that.

Orochimaru shook his head in distaste as he watched the man below him set out from Konoha, it could not even be considered a visit this time, more like passing through. How was he to trust in Jiraiya’s words? His claims of caring? The only thing that meant anything to him was that damn prophecy and even that he half assed, the idiot would never change.

X

“Did you soak up that idiot’s bad habits?” Orochimaru asked and he chuckled when under the anger in Naruto’s eyes he saw the flash of understanding. “So you didn’t…”

“Where’s Sasuke.” Naruto hissed as his hand rested on his sword.

“Gone.” Orochimaru mused. “You’re already too late, he has already left.” He smiled and relaxed on his chair. “Oh, I know you’re thinking about my new host right?” He laughed. “I’ve already gotten one and it is far better than Sasuke’s, maybe in the future…” He trailed off and looked at the shocked face watching him. “Sasuke left.” He repeated. “So why don’t you do the same?”

X

“I thought you two were like Sasuke and me but you’re not.” Naruto met his gaze and Orochimaru arched a brow in amusement at the boy’s words. “Sasuke listens, you don’t.”

“And I’m fairly sure you know why.” Orochimaru chuckled. “But if it is you I’ll listen; I’m no longer looking to burn Konoha.” He smiled slowly. “So call me whenever you need me or my expertise, if it is you I’ll listen. You’re different.” He stressed, because unlike his teacher Naruto could commit and he had committed, his commitment to the village and Sasuke had proved more than enough to Orochimaru.

X

“Say it.”

“You’re a naive fool.” Orochimaru crossed his arms as he stood behind Jiraiya. “Also crueler than I expected.”

“I know.”

“See this is why people don’t trust you, you can get the job done but you always run away. You’ll do this job but what about the next one? You never know where you really stand with you.” Orochimaru stepped forward so he could look down at the slowly rebuilding village. “You’re crueler than I Jiraiya.”

“I know.” Jiraiya sighed as he crossed his legs. “I know that now. It’s why I kept losing.”

“It’s more than that.” Orochimaru shook his head before he sighed. “I’m going to my lab, maybe you should come to a decision because sooner or later he will find you and he won’t ignore you like I did.”

“I know he won’t.” Jiraiya looked back at him. “But I always cared Orochimaru.”

“Not enough.” Orochimaru snorted as he turned away. He was upset that even after all those years he still felt the same. It was ridiculous that even after everything that he knew, that hoped still lingered. But Jiraiya had changed, he looked back to see the man had returned to looking down at Konoha. Maybe his closeness with death would change his perspective.

X

“Not going anywhere?” Orochimaru looked up from the microscope. “This I have to see.”

“You will, I’m staying here.” Jiraiya smiled at him and Orochimaru shrugged. “Not just because of orders from the kid but because this is where I want to be.”

“Like I said, this I have to see.” Orochimaru responded but he sneaked another look at Jiraiya and smiled to himself at the visible change that he saw, for some reason he actually believed him this time.


End file.
